quadruped

noun

quad·​ru·​ped ˈkwä-drə-ˌped 

: an animal having four feet

quadruped adjective

quadrupedal

kwä-ˈdrü-pə-dᵊl  ˌkwä-drə-ˈpe- 

adjective

Did you know?

The quadrupeds include almost all the mammals. (Among the exceptions are whales, bats, and humans.) The Greek equivalent of this Latin word is tetrapod. However, the two are not identical, since the tetrapod classification includes bipeds such as birds, in which two of the limbs are no longer used for walking. Insects all have six legs, of course, and in the sea there are eight-legged octopods (including the octopus). But there are no animals of any kind with an odd number of legs.

Examples of quadruped in a Sentence

Horses and cows are quadrupeds.

Recent Examples on the Web

Other initial products include a specialized quadruped for security applications and a humanoid robot platform for educators and researchers. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026

The prohibition also covers new imports of quadruped robots, often referred to as four-legged robot dogs. — E. Eduardo Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

And last month, Washington banned new humanoid and quadruped robot imports from foreign manufacturers, calling them a national security risks – in a move aimed at China. — John Liu, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

Robots transform firefighting DEEP’s new emergency response system centers on the X30 quadruped, which acts as a mobile reconnaissance platform. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin quadruped-, quadrupes, from quadruped-, quadrupes, adjective, having four feet, from quadri- + ped-, pes foot — more at foot

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quadruped

• cooped
• drooped
• duped
• grouped
• hooped
• looped
• scooped
• stooped
• swooped
• trooped
• whooped
• recouped

Kids Definition

quadruped

noun

quad·​ru·​ped ˈkwäd-rə-ˌped 

: an animal having four feet

Medical Definition

quadruped

noun

quad·​ru·​ped ˈkwäd-rə-ˌped 

: an animal having four feet

quadrupedal

kwä-ˈdrü-pəd-ᵊl  ˌkwäd-rə-ˈped- 

adjective